Tonight, we visited a Chinese restaurant in Nakazakicho, Osaka. The concept is "Kamigata Chinese cuisine". Chef Niitani, who was born and raised in Osaka, wants to express the culture and climate of Osaka through Chinese cuisine, using the unique dashi culture of Kansai and the basic of Chinese cuisine, "tang". We were invited by a foodie friend, so we had the place all to ourselves and could chat leisurely with Chef Niitani. We started with a toast with draft beer, but ended up with a wine pairing that complemented the dishes perfectly. 1. Slurp Smooth Eel - A dish made with Awaji conger eel lightly cooked in kelp dashi and mixed with chrysanthemum greens, nagaimo, and wasabi. The traditional cooking style of Naniwa (Osaka) is evident in the ingredients and the dish resembles a Japanese dish both in taste and appearance. 2. Fragrant Fish Spring Roll - A spring roll made with Kii River ayu from Wakayama, flavored with herbs. The spring roll has three layers: the ayu fillet and cucumber, ayu liver and red miso, and simmered ayu with baby corn, creating a flavorful gradient with a hint of bitterness from the ayu. 3. Lion's Head - A kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) meatball with a sauce made from Wakayama sansho pepper. The fish head soup with fresh ginger is a delightful accompaniment, and dipping the steamed bun in the flavorful soup enhances the taste. 4. Sea Belt Fish Fin - A dish featuring dried Yoshikiri sea cucumber from Kesennuma in a unique vessel made of dried kombu. The soup has a slightly spicy kick from the dried kombu, adding an interesting touch to the dish. 5. Half-Assistant Tofu - An eel head (half-assistant) cooked in soy sauce and high-temperature oil, served with salt-cooked tofu and a fragrant sweet bean sauce. 6. Sea Cucumber Dish - Dried sea cucumber filled with stir-fried lily bulb, creating a delightful texture and flavor. Served with sliced loofah. 7. Red Yam Garden - A dish featuring Akai zuiki from Kaizuka, a combination of red turnip, snow peas, kogane carrot, Western carrot, paprika, garlic sprouts, and shungiku wrapped in yuba, topped with sudachi foam. 8. Green Plum Pork - Tempura made with lean meat of Shizuoka's Ryubi pork and egg, served with Nankou aoume and Hanaho shiso. 9. Plum Meat Tendon - Thinly sliced rib roast cooked at high temperature and finished over charcoal, served with plum soy sauce for a refreshing and flavorful taste. 10. Clam Noodle - Noodles mixed with lily leaf stems and clam broth from Mie, creating a unique texture and flavor with the distinctive taste of clams. 11. Rose Mung Bean - A milk pudding shaped like a rose, served with sweetened mung beans, lotus seeds, wolfberries, and Natsume syrup, topped with matcha and green yuzu sauce. 12. Tea - A beautiful dessert platter with four different desserts (Lurifukubao, Liangpixin, Yanhuasusu, and Liushayuebing). Each dessert is a work of art in itself. The dishes were all unique and focused on dashi, resulting in subtle flavors and delicate aromas rather than bold punches.

I visited the Chinese restaurant "Jouhoku Chuka Shinkei" that I was curious about. Each dish had a lot of ingredients, making it difficult for me to take notes (lol). You can feel the chef's dedication and passion in each dish. The flavors deepen as you savor each bite of the rich and flavorful cuisine. However, if you go expecting typical high-end Chinese cuisine, you may find the food different from what you expected. Course menu + 2 drinks (non-alcoholic) Service charge included, tax not included 28,600 yen.

In September 2023, I visited "Jouhou Chuka Shinkei" in Nakazaki-cho for the third time. Whenever I have to recommend a restaurant to someone visiting Osaka, I always think of this place. They use plenty of Osaka-produced ingredients like Naniwa vegetables and Kawachi duck, and their concept is to offer dishes unique to Osaka, making it the perfect place to experience the flavors of Osaka. While they make use of Chinese cooking techniques, it's not your typical Chinese cuisine but more like "Jouhou Chuka". This time, I had a satisfying lunch with delicate dishes and plenty of my favorite ingredients. The dishes and drinks I enjoyed are as follows: - Drink: Alcohol pairing (half) - Dish 1: Taro tart with tofu skin, rice, millet, chestnut, beans, taro, and Nanba green onions - Dish 2: Shrimp and new ginkgo rice paper rolls with dried shrimp, homemade karasumi, and oboro kombu - Dish 3: Grilled fish with fish head, fish soup, chrysanthemum oil, chrysanthemum flower, micro chrysanthemum, and hojiso - Dish 4: Shark fin with deer tendon, pig achilles tendon, and hijiki - Dish 5: Golden deer mushroom with shimeji mushrooms, dried and fried, duck salted egg yolk, and crucian carp sushi - Dish 6: Crispy sea cucumber with dried scallops, oyster sauce, dried gourd, and oyster sauce - Dish 7: Crab and water chestnut soup dumplings with celery, mitsuba, watercress, makomo mushrooms, water chestnut, and lotus seeds - Dish 8: Eggplant garden with cucumber, red radish, western carrot, garlic sprouts, paprika, Osaka cabbage, taro stem, Izumi eggplant, and sudachi foam - Dish 9: Beef tail with konjac, konjac yuzu, white miso, Odaitokuji natto sauce, spicy oil sauce, and scallion sauce - Dish 10: Camphor tea duck rice with Kawachi duck and rice tea, hojicha, rose chips, and yuzu pepper - Dish 11: Mountain hawthorn mousse and yogurt chunyan with rice koji hawthorn type: hawthorn, persimmon, parsley, pickled hawthorn - Drink: Pear and pomegranate tea - Dessert 1: Autumn rabbit oolong tea and osmanthus jelly (in the shape of a rabbit) - Dessert 2: Nanjing pumpkin pudding with black sugar jelly - Dessert 3: Mooncake pastry with custard and duck salted egg yolk - Dessert 4: Yellow rabbit mooncake with sweet potato mochi and camembert cheese Personally, I think the combination of Kawachi duck and Barolo wine is the best. The overall taste is gentle and the presentation is very delicate. The pairing, including Japanese sake in between, allowed me to enjoy Shinkei's autumn course.

Osaka cuisine is also known as "Naniwa Shimatsu Ryori," which refers to the concept of balance and harmony between the beginning and end of a meal. This reflects a spirit of thrift and economy, aligning well with the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At this restaurant, which specializes in Kansai-style Chinese cuisine, Chef Raito Arata's philosophy is evident in the innovative dishes he creates. Having grown up in a family that ran a local Chinese restaurant, Chef Arata's upbringing made Chinese cuisine a familiar and natural choice for him. Despite facing questions about his choice to pursue Chinese cuisine as a Japanese chef, he remained committed to blending Japanese and Chinese culinary techniques to create a unique culinary experience. Each dish showcased a fusion of Japanese and Chinese ingredients, highlighting the chef's clear concept and distinctive creativity. The attention to detail and delicate craftsmanship in each dish was truly impressive. During a lunch visit, I had the opportunity to enjoy a tasting menu that featured dishes such as Harvest Tart with tofu skin and a variety of seasonal ingredients, Crispy Shrimp and Ginkgo Spring Roll, and Rare Grilled Goby Fish with chrysanthemum oil and chrysanthemum flowers. The menu also included innovative dishes like Crispy Sea Cucumber with abalone and pork Achilles, and Crab Soup Dumplings with a variety of vegetables. Each dish was meticulously prepared, showcasing a harmonious blend of Japanese and Chinese flavors. The meal concluded with a delicious dessert of Hawthorn Mousse and Yogurt Rice Cake, which highlighted the chef's skillful use of fermented ingredients. Overall, the dining experience at this restaurant was a true culinary delight, offering a unique and refined take on Kansai-style Chinese cuisine.

I had great respect for the unwavering commitment to the store's appearance, customer service, and cuisine. The reason for the low rating, in my personal opinion, was that the flavors seemed to be a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and French, making it difficult for my palate and sense of taste and smell to keep up. Perhaps I was expecting a more traditional Chinese flavor profile, which caused some confusion.

Everything was delicious! The ayu spring rolls and the special sea cucumber were so good! The dishes were light yet flavorful, with a nice touch of Japanese influence. The atmosphere of the restaurant and the staff were also great. I would love to visit this restaurant again.

June 2023. It's been 5 months since my last visit, and this time I'm here for lunch again. Overall, considering the course content, service, price, etc., this is my favorite Chinese restaurant. Speaking of Chinese cuisine, they also use a lot of local Osaka vegetables, so some people might get the impression of a mix between Chinese and Japanese cuisine when trying the course without any preconceptions. I wonder how many staff members there are here? There's the chef, the sommelier, and I think there was one more person in the kitchen, but with such a small number of people, the meticulous seasoning and delicate presentation are truly impressive. The course and wine I had this time are as follows: [Seasonal Chef's Special Course] 15 dishes for 18,000 yen - Eel Soup: Eel with grated daikon and kelp dashi soup, served with taro, yam, and wasabi - Fragrant Fish Spring Roll: Ayu fish spring roll with red miso and cucumber from Osaka - Lion's Head Meatball: Giant sea bass dumpling with wood ear mushrooms and Japanese prickly ash sauce - Seaweed Shark Fin: Yoshikiri shark fin with kelp broth - Half Eel Tofu: Eel and tofu simmered in soy sauce - Abalone Dish: Abalone with yellow chives - Tangyam Garden: Stir-fried red taro stems and Osaka vegetables - Plum Pork Rib: Tempura of Shizuoka pork with green plums - Plum Tendon: Thinly sliced pork Achilles tendon with plum soy sauce - Clam Noodle: Clam noodle with water spinach and egg - Rose Mung Bean: Yuzu milk pudding with green beans, lotus seeds, and goji berries - Lapis Lazuli Fortune Bag - Cold Skin Almond - Firework Pastry - Flowing Mooncake [Drinks] Half Pairing Wine - Monte Tondo Garganega Frizzante 2021 - Domaine Bouchié-Chatellier Pouilly-Fumé premier millesimé 2021 - Estelle&Cyrille Bongiraud Želja 2016 (Serbia) - L'Abeille de Fieuzal Blanc 2016 - Haut-Medoc de Giscours 2017 - Fushimizu (Yellow Cherry Blossom) The spring roll here is amazing, especially with the ayu fish from Wakayama this time. The combination of red miso seasoned ayu liver, cucumber, and young corn adds a nice texture contrast. From the rich flavors of the eel soup and seaweed shark fin to the robust flavors of the half eel tofu, there is a variety of tastes to enjoy. The dessert was also fantastic. The wine pairing complemented the dishes perfectly, especially the Serbian red wine with the eel. Thank you for the feast! I highly recommend this restaurant to travelers visiting Osaka, as it offers a seasonal menu with a touch of Osaka using local vegetables.

I visited the upper-class Chinese restaurant "Shin Kyu" for lunch for the first time since January when I had seven herb rice porridge. We were guided to a spacious private room and enjoyed the following 15-course seasonal set menu for 18,000 yen, excluding a 15% private room service charge and consumption tax: 1. Slurping smooth sea eel: Sea eel from Awaji Island boiled in kelp dashi broth, served with chuancai, nagaimo, and wasabi on top of oven-baked nagaimo. 2. Fragrant fish spring roll: Ayu spring roll from Wakayama flavored with herbs, served with ayu liver and red miso, Osaka cucumber, and young corn. 3. Lion's head: Fish garden aco's dango with wood ear mushrooms and Wakayama sansho pepper sauce, served with fish head soup and steamed buns dipped in the remaining sauce. 4. Sea bream fish maw: Yoshikiri fucile from Kesennuma made with fish maw dashi, served in a kelp-made vessel after extracting the dashi. 5. Half-assistant tofu: Mikawa eel and tofu simmered in soy sauce, topped with deboned eel and tofu cooked in high-temperature oil with sweet bean sauce. 6. Abalone dish: Abalone dish with abalone liver stew and abalone siu mai. 7. Tangyao vegetable garden: Red taro stems and Osaka vegetables on top of Chinese cabbage, with various vegetables and garlic shoots wrapped in yuba, served with sudachi foam. 8. Green plum crispy meat: Tempura of Shizuoka Luibi pork rib loin with Nanko green plums and shiso flowers. 9. Plum meat tendon: Thinly sliced pork Achilles tendon with plum soy sauce. 10. Clam mixed noodles: Noodles mixed with clam and Chinese cabbage, enjoying the texture of two types of noodles with or without eggs. 11. Rose mung bean: Yuzu milk pudding with sweetened green beans, lotus seeds, wolfberries, and apricot syrup, topped with matcha and blue yuzu sauce. 12. Lapis lazuli fortune bag. 13. Liangpi almond. 14. Firework crisp. 15. Flowing sand moon cake. For drinks, I had a Rokoko white beer, while my friend had a half-pairing sparkling wine. The dishes were creatively presented and showcased the chef's skills, incorporating traditional Osaka food culture and Naniwa vegetables into innovative Chinese cuisine. The desserts, inspired by the hydrangea season, were beautifully crafted, and the sommelier's expertise was truly impressive. I believe this restaurant deserves more recognition, and I hope many people will visit to enjoy the flavors, presentation, and tableware. Thank you for the meal!

Visited SHINTANI, a top-class Chinese restaurant in Osaka's Nakazakicho, for the third time. The menu changes with the seasons, and this time it was the spring menu. The dishes were meticulously crafted with a focus on Osaka's local ingredients, and I left fully satisfied. One of Osaka's top Chinese restaurants, with a Michelin one-star rating. The spring menu included dishes such as a savory and refreshing salad, steamed clams with sea cucumber and vegetables, stir-fried scallops and abalone, bird's nest with white asparagus, abalone, and pea shoots, and the classic spring rolls with a twist. Each roll was divided into four sections, allowing us to savor different flavors. The soup was made from fish broth with pickled Chinese cabbage for a tangy kick. The main course featured roasted duck wrapped in fat, sautéed with oil and Sichuan pepper sauce, served with a variety of Osaka-grown vegetables. For dessert, we enjoyed a jelly made from Longjing tea with a strawberry-shaped carp, matcha sauce with azuki bean dumplings, a cherry blossom pie, a mooncake with edamame, and Natsume ice cream. The total cost was 28,000 yen.

A Chinese restaurant that earned a Michelin star within a year of opening, offering a seasonal omakase course for 18,000 yen. Every dish was delicious and unlike any Chinese food I've had before. The dessert was particularly impressive and left me feeling happy. The interior of the restaurant was stylish and lovely.

Located in Naka-Zakacho, Osaka, Shintani is a trendy restaurant that gained a Michelin star less than a year after opening. They specialize in "Kamigata Chuka," a traditional cuisine from the region that incorporates dashi and local vegetables. The menu items are written in four-character kanji, adding an element of excitement as you wait to see what dish will be served. The sommelier also recommends delicious wines and shaoxing wine to complement the dishes. Shintani offers a unique and innovative take on Kamigata Chuka that is definitely worth checking out.

We went to a restaurant that we had been checking out, just the two of us girls. As soon as we walked in, we noticed the chef was handsome and had great gestures. The course meal started at 18,000 yen (+10% service charge & tax) with a wine pairing option for 15,000 yen. - Champagne DRAPPIER - Appetizer with a mix of sweet and sour flavors, sea urchin, jellyfish with sansho pepper, and vegetable salad - Stir-fried shellfish with Hokkaido scallops and Hokkaido scallop meat torch - Dried food spring roll with various fillings - Soup with shark fin, Japanese alfonsino, and seaweed from Shimane Prefecture - Wine from Koyama Winery in Nara - Burgundy Macon wine - Grilled Kansai pork loin with quail egg and leek sauce - Orange wine from Alsace - Dried naoko pork shoulder from Shodoshima, stuffed with ginkgo nuts and stir-fried with sugeki - Pinot Gris from Alsace - Various vegetable dishes using vegetables from Naniwa - Wine from Slovakia - Two types of lamb dishes: slow-cooked lamb loin and spicy stir-fried lamb oil - Limited edition cherry label Pinot Noir - Cherry blossom sea bream with sea bream roe and sticky rice cherry mochi - Carp matcha sauce inside a jelly made from longan tea - Dessert wine from Takeda Winery - Four types of dessert: rose, cherry blossom, oolong tea, and perilla seed ice cream The chef also presented a special celebratory dish called "Sanpuchan" as a birthday gift to me. This dessert is made with so much effort and dedication that it can cause tenosynovitis from kneading it hundreds of times. This restaurant is truly amazing, with the chef's passion evident in every dish.

I happened to come across a restaurant with a very unique concept that focuses on using ingredients from Osaka and interpreting traditional Osaka dishes in a Chinese style. In its first year of opening, the restaurant received one Michelin star in 2023. Despite previously running a successful Chinese restaurant in Esaka, the owner decided to start from scratch and develop a new concept of "Osaka-style Chinese cuisine" with rich dashi flavors. The restaurant was renamed "Jouka Chuka Shin Kyu" and opened in Nakazakicho. We recently held a private party to celebrate this achievement, and everyone seemed to really enjoy it.

I visited this amazing restaurant for a business entertainment, which has recently received a Michelin star despite being a new establishment. I had high expectations, but I personally didn't quite grasp the taste and depth of this restaurant yet. It serves mostly Chinese cuisine with a Japanese twist, and the attentive service conveys a strong sense of hospitality. However, I couldn't quite understand the unique teas and the four types of desserts at the end. Other members in my group seemed to have similar impressions. I realized that I should have checked in advance what kind of restaurant it was before selecting it for business entertainment. It's not that the restaurant is bad, but it revealed my lack of sense in choosing a restaurant.

In January 2023, I finally visited the restaurant "Jou" in Nakazaki, which I had been wanting to go to for a long time. Although dinner timings never seemed to work out, I heard that they started serving lunch this year, so I was able to secure a reservation for a private room early in the new year. I arrived at 12:00 and was seated in the private room. The atmosphere was calm and inviting, allowing for a relaxed dining experience. We started with a glass of champagne and then enjoyed the following wines and dishes: - René Jolly Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne - Pommier Bourgogne Pinot Beurot 2018 - Vincent Fleith L'orange de la dernière Colline 【Seasonal Omakase Course】15 dishes for 18,000 yen - Tennoji Kabu: Kabu mochi fermented kabu leaf & fruit powder kabu soup - Xianxie Mi Fen: Seko crab and vermicelli marinated Seko crab roe, miso, belly, arms mixed with vermicelli - Kou Tennoji Soup: Oita's mackerel soup with mackerel wrapped in a circle, topped with crispy skin - Fugu Spring Roll: Fugu spring roll with four parts of fugu (upper body, shirako, ara white miso dressing, skin) - Sake Kasu Char Siu: Char siu marinated in sake kasu, homemade karasumi, grated daikon, Nara pickles - Iso Ka Fugu: 10-day rehydrated fugu fin soup with fish bones, seared with charcoal, topped with Shimane nori - Negi Yaki Quail: Quail yaki quail meat wrapped in thigh and chest, grilled over charcoal, with sukiyaki-style sauce - Ichihin Namako: Small bean island namako, ginkgo, lotus root, pork shoulder loin stuffed with Kyoto suguki - Ebi Yacon Garden: White miso-style Naniwa vegetable Tomitae yam, Tennoji kabu, Tanabe daikon, Nose Takayama beef burdock, Izumisano Matsunami cabbage, Osaka shirona, Namba negi mustard - Nanakusa Crab Rice: Female migratory crab and nanakusa yuzu-scented rice cooked in a bowl steamed with seko crab roe on top - Fu I Tofu: Ancient rice and yuba and cream cheese tofu milk poured over warm and cold - Yan Wo Xing: Yanwo nest and almond osiruko with rose petals scattered - Yamayao Cao Mei: Yamaimo and strawberry without binding, baked for 2 hours and a half, with yuri root inside - Mei Hua Su Bing: Plum blossom-shaped su bing - Zao Xin Tai Ruan: Jujube cooked sweet with sugar, snowman-style shiratama dumplings The dishes showcased a variety of traditional Osaka vegetables, as well as classic ingredients like fugu and namako, leaving a lasting impression. The delicate presentation of each dish was impressive, reminiscent of the first time I visited "Chazenka." Additionally, on this day, we were able to enjoy the seven herb rice cake in celebration of "Jinjitsu no Sekku," which was a nice touch. The attention to detail and respect for tradition in Osaka cuisine was evident in every dish, but the standout dishes for me were the Kou Tennoji Soup, Fugu Spring Roll, Iso Ka Fugu, Ichihin Namako, and Ebi Yacon Garden. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience, and I look forward to revisiting in a different season. While the restaurant currently has a rating of 3.06 on Tabelog, I believe it easily deserves a rating of over 4. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

Two months ago, a friend asked me to make a reservation at a fantastic Chinese restaurant in Nakazaki called "Shintani". I forgot about it, but my friend ended up making the reservation online. We visited the restaurant for a private lunch, where we were seated in a spacious private room. The chef, Mr. Shintani, who had been in the industry for 25 years, opened the restaurant in Nakazaki with a new concept, combining Kansai's dashi culture with traditional Chinese cuisine and local vegetables. The lunch course included 15 dishes, such as Tianwangsi radish mochi, salted crab rice vermicelli, and saba no funamizu soup. Each dish was beautifully presented and explained by the sommelier, making the dining experience both educational and enjoyable.

At the end of the year, I went back to Shintani, a top-notch Chinese restaurant in Osaka, for the second time in the past month. The level of cuisine is truly impressive, with a strong emphasis on local Osaka ingredients and meticulously crafted dishes. The course menu changes with the seasons, so I definitely want to come back at least every 3 months. They recently received one Michelin star. The winter dish featuring turnip mochi made with fermented powder had a great texture. Another dish combined caramelized turnip with pickled horsehair crab from Tsuiyama, including the innards, roe, crab meat, and bean thread noodles. It was a unique way to enjoy horsehair crab. The "kousenba-jiru" soup was made using a Chinese cooking technique called "kousen," and it contained mackerel, daikon radish, sweet potatoes, and Nanba green onions in a unique presentation. The soup is a specialty in the Fukumachi Itsutomi district, made with mackerel bones favored by Osaka merchants. The next dish, fugu spring rolls, was outstanding. Shintani's spring rolls have four layers inside, each prepared in a different way to maximize enjoyment and flavor. The fugu in the spring rolls was prepared in four different ways, allowing you to savor all parts of the fish in one dish. The marinated chashu pork with karasumi and grated radish, along with abalone slices drizzled with fish broth, was a unique combination of flavors. The thick monkfish liver and thinly sliced abalone were served with a fish-based soup, a rare pairing with shark fin. The quail prepared in a sukiyaki style was served with crab meat, tofu, quail eggs, and green onions in a Chinese-style soy sauce and green onion dish. Various Osaka vegetables were cooked with Hirakata taro and white miso. The meal ended with a dish of Watarigani crab and okowa rice, slightly stir-fried to create a flavor reminiscent of fried rice mixed with rice. The dessert featured tofu topped with yuba and soy milk, with black rice at the bottom. There were four sweets in red and white themes, including almond tofu with birds' nest, white rice dumplings with natsume fruit, a rose-shaped confection made with strawberries and yamaimo, and a plum blossom-shaped pie. The total cost was 27,000 yen.

I went to a hidden gem restaurant in Nakazakicho for my senior colleague's birthday party. We toasted with champagne and started with dried tofu and spring chrysanthemum. The counter seats provided a lively atmosphere, and we enjoyed freshly fried spring rolls. Each bite revealed a different filling, making it an interesting experience. The blue shark fin dish was made with fish broth and added seaweed, creating a rich ocean aroma. The delicate white meat of the red sea bream paired well with sweet pumpkin and plump snow crab. The soft Kawachi duck in soup was paired with orange wine, and the crab soup was beautifully presented with Osaka vegetables. The dried sea cucumber jelly dish was a luxurious combination of sea cucumber and pork. The main dish was slow-cooked black beef with amigasa mushrooms, followed by hand-pulled tantan noodles. The Chinese-style dessert, Sanpucha, was made with egg yolk and had a unique texture. The persimmon and chestnut sweets were beautifully crafted, and we were even treated to a birthday cake from the restaurant. Overall, the food was delicious and the experience was enjoyable. The restaurant had earned a Michelin one-star rating shortly after opening in February, and it was well-deserved.

Visited on November 2, 2022 for dinner. Ordered the course menu along with 8-year and 10-year aged Shaoxing wine. Yesterday, after work, I had dinner in Nakazakicho at the upscale Chinese restaurant, Shin Kyodo, which opened in February and quickly received a Michelin one-star rating. I arrived at 7:30 pm and there was only one other customer who left shortly after, so it was almost like having the place to myself. I started by quenching my thirst with some Rokoko and then began the course menu. The dishes I enjoyed included: - Chrysanthemum greens - Pressed tofu with 4 types of dried ingredients - Spring rolls - Shark fin and sea cucumber - Winter melon with crab and duck egg yolk - Nagasaki cutlassfish - Izumi matsutake mushrooms with river duck and adzuki beans - Naoshima sea cucumber and turnip - Pork with Osaka vegetables - Nosei black beef lamp with morel mushrooms - Finale of Sichuan-style noodles and figs Shin Kyodo offers a unique fusion of Osaka and Chinese cuisines, and I was particularly impressed by the cutlassfish dish, the dim sum with duck egg yolk, the sea cucumber and turnip dish, and the Sichuan-style noodles. The menu changes every 3 months, and I had a brief conversation with the chef, who exuded passion and left a great impression. I look forward to returning in the new year. The bill came to 26,510 yen. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I visited the newly Michelin-starred restaurant SHINTANI, which serves Kansai-style Chinese cuisine, for the first time the other day. In conclusion, it is the top-level Chinese restaurant in Osaka. The dishes are made with a focus on Osaka-produced ingredients, which I found very impressive. The autumn dishes included dried tofu wrapped in Kishu greens, two types of grated yam, and spring rolls made with Takano tofu from Osaka, dried radish, mountain jellyfish, and hijiki, each cooked with natural mushrooms to soak up the flavors. The shark fin from Wakayama was served with Shimane seaweed, Osaka snow crab dumplings, and kabocha squash with duck salted egg yolk. There was also a dish with Matsutake mushrooms from Mount Koya and steamed clay-pot duck with red beans. The dish with dried octopus from Shodoshima, pork, and suginuki Osaka vegetables and Shanghai crab was also delicious. The dish with Nosesu wagyu fillet cooked at low temperature with leeks and Sichuan green chili sauce was outstanding. The menu also included mushroom, liver, and kottechan, as well as peanut beef and Shanghai crab tantan noodles. For dessert, there was a mooncake with chestnuts and figs, chestnut pie, red bean soup, and a pudding with beets.

I visited a new restaurant in Nakazakicho called "Jouhou Chuka" and was impressed by its luxurious interior and high-class atmosphere. The course menu consisted of 12 dishes, including a delicious dish of green vegetables and tofu with Matsuba crab from San'in in a thick sauce. The cold dish of beautifully presented Kinmedai (golden eye snapper) was a sight to behold. The "Jouhou La Chuan Chuka" was a unique twist on Osaka's famous kushikatsu, with hormone and shrimp dipped in a spicy sauce. The taro croquette had a distinctive crispy coating, while the grilled barracuda with sansho pepper sauce was a flavorful treat. The luxurious stewed sea cucumber was a rare delicacy, and the roast Kawachi duck had a perfect crispy exterior. The meal ended with duck Nanban soba, providing a warm and satisfying finish. The dessert selection included five different options, all with just the right amount of sweetness. The attention to detail in every aspect of the meal was truly impressive, including the tea pairings and the high-quality wooden chopsticks that were even available for purchase as souvenirs. I was so impressed that I made a reservation for my next visit. Thank you for the wonderful meal!